Dupuytren's contracture arises from unknown causes and is a progressive, scarry shrinkage and thickening of the flexion contracture of the cusp-like extended palmar aponeurosis in the palm of the hand, whereby, as the curvature of the fingers increases, especially that of the fourth and fifth fingers, stretching of the fingers becomes ever more restricted. This ailment, which attacks men more frequently than women and can occur in one or both hands, begins with a dimple-like indentation in the palm of the hand and gradually but quite painlessly grows into nodules and fascicles. The flexor tendons of the fingers concerned are not in themselves diseased but their movement is impaired by the scar-fascicles of the palmar aponeurosis. A similar contracture concerning the toes is known.
Since the illness neither regresses spontaneously nor responds with any degree of long term success to conventional forms of treatment (without surgery) such as massage, heat treatment and the like, it can only be treated surgically, namely, by cutting away the proliferating atrophied tissue. Apart from the unpleasantness associated with any surgical operation, it has transpired that the scars resulting from the operation can make a later recurrence of the ailment even worse.